Ribbon mechanism for typewriters



I 0. A. HOKANSON. RIBBON MECHANISM FOR T'YPEWBIT ERS.

* APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, I920. 1,421,780, Patented July 4, 1922,.

I m W fiy fl a is) w w r w a a WRITER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, I

WOODSTOCK TYPE- LLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS.

Application filed December 22, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, OTTO A. HoimNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVoods tock, in the county of Mci-lenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon Mechanism for Typewriters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ribbon mechanism for typewriters, and especially to the control device for the ribbon feed, and has for its object the provision of mechanism of the class named which shall be of improved construction and operation.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing 7 Fig. 1 is an elevation of a ribbon spool shaft having one embodiment "of the present invention applied thereto Fig. 2 is a view looking from the right in Fig.1; 1

' Fig; 8 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

and

Fig. tie a plan view of a' ribbon spool forming a part of the present invention.

Typewriters using a ribbon are ordinarily provided with a pair of spools upon which the ribbon is wound, the ribbon being automatically fed from one to the other of these spools during typewriting operation. The feeding mechanism is commonly reversible,

and the present invention comprises mechanism controlled by the ribbon on the spools for automatically reversing the ribbon feed ing'mechanism when a spool become-s un wound. The particular ribbon feed is not a part of the present invention and any wellknown means may be employed for this pur pose. one suitable form being shown in my application, Serial No. 281,739, filed March 10. 1919. i

Referring to the drawing, the numeral'lO designates a ribbon shaft or spindle 'upon which a collar 11 is rigidly secured. The shaft 10 is centrally bored and provided with a rod 12 arranged to slide longitudinally in the central opening of the shaft. The upper portion or" the shaft is slotted as shown at 13, and the upper end of the rod 12 is bent Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1922.

Serial No. 432,405.

laterally to provide a projecting pin 14 which extends outwardly from the slot 13. A trip finger 15 is pivoted at 16 on the collar 11 and is provided with an opening 17 through which the pin 14 extends. A ribbon spool 18 comprises a pair of flanged discs 19 and a central drum 20. The discs 19 are provided with openings 21 through which the trip finger 15 extends. lVhen there is no ribbon on the spool 18- the finger 15 will fall by gravity into the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1, but when the ribbon is wound upon the drum 20 the finger 15 will be held inwardly, as shown in broken lines in that figure. Movement of the finger 15 from its broken line to its full line position in Fig. 1 will cause the rod 12 to be lowered in the opening of the shaft The rod 12 is connected with the reversing mechanism for the ribbon feed in such a way that when it is lowered the direction of rotation or" the spools is reve seal and the ribbon is rewound upon the shaft from which itl has just been unwound to permit the trip finger 15 to fall.

\Vhen the ribbon spool 20 is removed from its spindle to change the ribbon or for any other purpose the finger '15 will. of course, fall into its lowerposition. If the finger is permitted to remain in this position at the time awound spool is placed uponthe spindle it is apparent that the end of the finger 15 will strike the edge of the wound ribbon and thus interfere with replacing'the spool. The present invention comprises means for automatically moving the finger 1'5 inwardly so that it will pass inside the ribbon as the spool moves into position on its spindle.

The mechanism for moving the finger inwardly comprises a yoke 22 pivoted at 23 on the collar 11 and provided with a downwardly extending tailpiece 24, the end of which is positioned adjacent an outwardly projecting lug 25 on the trip finger 15. A

spring 26 normally presses the tail-piece 24: away from the lug 25. An arm 27 of spring material extends upwardly from the yoke 22 and is provided with an inwardly bent knuckle 28 which is held against the spindle 10 by the spring 26. The upper portion of the arm 29 above the knuckle 28 is inclined outwardly at an angle as shown. A tongue 30 is slit from the arm 27, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is bent inwardly forming a gap 31 between the lower end of the tongue and the shoulder 32 formed on the arm 2? where the tongue is cut from the arm. Openings 33 are provided in the end flanges 19 of the spool to permit the arm 27 to extend upwardly into the interior of the drum 20. Both flanges of the spool are similarly formed so that the spool may be placed upon the spindle, either side up. A lug 3-1, shown best in Fig. 1-, extends inwardly from one edge of the opening 33 and is positioned in alinement with the gap 31 formed by the tongue 30. A rounded knob is pressed outwardly from the arm 27 and springs, past the outer edge of the opening 33 when the spool is moved into position on its spindle. The knob thus forms a yielding catch for preventing accidental displacement of the spool.

When the spool is removed from its spindle the lug 34 passes upwardly through the gap 31 and strikes the lower face of the upper extremity 29 of the arm 27. This inclined portion of the arm will spring inwardly permitting the spool to be removed. It will be apparent that this removal of the spool will have no effect upon the, trip finger 15. After the spool is displaced the finger, ofcourse, will fall into its lowermost position. -When it is desired to replace the spool it is positioned upon its spindle so that the opening 33 will be brought into alinement with the "upper end of the arm 27. The

spool is then pressed downwardly and the lug 3 1-will engage the upper inclined face of the angularextension 29- of the arm 27. This will move the arm 27 outwardly causing the tailpiece 2 1 to engage the lug 25 and swing the trip, finger 15 from its full line to its broken line position shown in Fig. 1. The parts are so proportioned that the lug 3 1 will engage the innermost portion of the knuckle at the time that the upper end of the trip finger 15 is entering the opening in the lower flange of the spool. This will bring the finger 15 into position to pass within the ribbon wound upon the drum 20. The downwardly extending tongue 30 holds the finger 15 in its retracted position until the finger is well entered within the ribbon. The finger 15 then moves out of contact with tongue 30 and the spring 26 returns the tailpiece 2a to its initial position, thus freeing the trip finger 15 so that it rests against the inner surface of the ribbon in position to fall outwardly and downwardly and operate the reversing mechanism as soon as the ribbon has become unwound from the spool. It will be seen that and provides a yielding catch for retaining.

the spool. It also forms a guide for positioning the spool so that the finger 15 is in alinement with the opening 21 when the spool is moved into place.

I claim Y 1. Ribbon mechanism for typewriters comprising a ribbon spool support, a device connected with said support and controlled by the ribbon on said spool, and means for automatically positioning said device relative to said spool prior to engagement between said device and spool when 7 said spool is placed upon said support.

2. Ribbon mechanism for typewriters comprising a ribbon spool support, a ribbon controlled device connected with said sup port, and means actuated independently of said ribbon for automatically positioning said device relative to said spool while said spool is being moved into position on said support, said device being free from said positioning means and subject to control of said ribbon after said spool is in place on said support.

3. Ribbon mechanism for typewriters comprising a ribbon spool support, a ribbon feed control device connected with said support, and means arranged to come into cooperative relation with said spool prior to said control device during the movement of the ribbon spool onto said support for automatically positioning said control device during said movement so that said control device will assume a predetermined relation relative to said spool, before the ribbon on said spool is brought into registration with said control device.

1. Ribbon mechanism for typewriters comprising a ribbon spool support, ribbon controlled mechanism connected with said support, and means on said spool for automatically positioning said mechanismto receive said spool prior to registration of said spool and mechanism when. said spool is placed on said support. H

Ribbon mechanism for typewriters comprising a spindle for supporting a ribbon spool, a ribbon controlled device connected with said spindle, means for shifting said device to position said device for receiving a ribbon spool but permitting movement of said device independently of said positioning means when said spool is in position on said spindle, and-means on said spool for actuating said positioning means during'the movement of a spool onto said spindle. 7

6. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a shiftable member mounted on said support, and means for shifting said member during the movement of a spool into position on said support, said shifting means being arranged to permit removal of said spool without affecting said shiftable member.

7. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a shiftable member connected with said support and movable into a position to enter within the ribbon wound upon a ribbon spool when said spool is placed upon said support, and a second device connected with said support and operated by said spool during its movement to position on said support to shift said member to permit its entry within the ribbon on said spool.

8. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a ribbon controlled device mounted on said support, means other than said device on said support for shifting said device into retracted position for receiving a ribbon spool, and means on said spool for automatically actuating said shifting means during the movement of a spool into position on said support but arranged to permit removal of said spool without affecting said shifting means.-

9. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a device movably mounted on said support, means on said support for engaging a spool to hold said spool in position on said support, means on said spool for contacting with said engaging means, and means to shift said movable device when a spool is placed upon said support, said engaging means being carried by said shifting means.

10. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a movable device carried thereby and arranged to enter a spool placed upon said support, and means on said support for shifting said device into position to receive a spool, said shifting means being arranged to hold said spool in position on said support and to prevent rotation of said spool relative to said support.

11. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a finger pivotally mounted thereon in position to engage a ribbon carried by said support, and a lever pivoted on said support having one arm arranged to shift said finger into position to receive a spool, the other arm of said lever being arranged to engage a spool as it is moved onto said support so that the movement of said spool will shift said finger into spool I'GCQClViHg position.

12. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a control finger pivotally mounted on said support, a lever pivoted on said support and having one arm thereof arranged to engage said control finger and having a second arm extending into position to engage a spool as it is moved onto said support, a spring for holding said lever out of contact with said finger, and means on said spool for actuating said lever to swing said finger toward said support into position to receive said spool as said spool is moved onto said support.

13. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a control finger pivotally moi1nted on said support, a ribbon spool carried by said support and provided with a central opening for receiving said finger, and means mounted on said support for movement relative to said control finger for engaging said spool to shift said finger into position to enter said opening when said spool is placed upon said support.

14. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a spool movable into and out of position on said support and having an opening therein, a control finger pivoted on said support and positioned in said opening when said spool is in place on said support, and means arranged to engage said spool to shift said finger into position to enter said opening when said spool is placed upon said support and to move out of cooperative relation with said finger when said spool is in position on said support, said means being arranged to permit removal of said spool from said support without affecting said finger.

15. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a finger pivotally mounted on said support, a spool having an opening therein for receiving said finger when said spool is in position on said support, a lever pivoted on said support for shifting said finger, said lever having an arm arranged to enter said spool, and means on said spool for engaging said arm to actuate said lever when said spool is moved into position on said support, said lever being free from said actuating means after said spool is positioned on said support.

16. The combination with a ribbon spool support, of a trip finger pivoted on said support, a spool movable into and out of position on said support and having an opening therein for receiving said finger to permit said finger to engage the ribbon on said support, a lever pivoted on said support for shifting said finger into position to enter the opening in said spool, said lever having an arm thereon arranged to enter said spool, and means on said spool for engaging said arm to actuate said lever during the movement of said spool into position on said support, said lever being free from said engaging means when said spool is in position on said support and being shaped to permit removal of said spool without being actuated thereby during said removal.

17. The combination with a ribbon spool support having a spindle thereon for receiving a ribbon spool, a finger pivotally mounted on said support and arranged to enter an opening in said spool to engage the ribbon thereon, a lever pivotally mounted on said support and having a tailpiece for shifting said finger into position to enter said opening, a spring for holding said tailpiece normally out of contact with said finger, an arm on said lever arranged to enter an opening in said spool, said arm having an inclined face, a projection on said spool for engaging said face to actuate said lever durin the movement of said spool into position on said support to cause said lever to swing said finger into position to enter said spool, said arm having a notch therein to permit removal of said spool without actuating said lever, and means on said arm for yieldingly retaining said spool in position on said spindle. V

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification on this 17th day of December A. D. 1920.

OTTO A.'HOKANSON. 

